The kiss
by Arches67
Summary: An undercover assignment leads to an interesting revelation between Peter and Neal. No slash.


**The kiss**

Summary: An undercover assignment leads to an interesting revelation between Peter and Neal. No slash.

Set sometime during season 3.

This story started as the first part for another story I have on the way. The idea was to have something funny to begin with, then my fingers took a life of their own and ended writing this. Let me know what you think.

Legal disclaimer: White Collar and its characters belong to Jeff Eastin. I'm just borrowing the action figures to have fun and will put them back in the toy box when I'm done. Not making any money with this…

English is not my first language. Thank you to my beta reader Sara Caffrey. All remaining mistakes are my fault.

* * *

They had been following Hunter for so long that Neal was starting to feel sorry for Peter. He had had the agent chasing him for three years; he was tired of it after only a few days…

Switching teams and cars, they had kept a safe distance tracing Hunter for the past three days. They knew he was going to meet his contact soon. They were hoping to catch them red handed when they exchanged the money, get the bonds; frame the forger and the buyer.

Five minutes ago he had entered a club. Peter had called Diana who was in the other car with Jones, behind the building. She was there in a couple of minutes and sat in the back of the car.

"What's up boss?" She asked.

"Hunter entered the club. I want to go in. I'll look less conspicuous if I am not alone." Peter explained.

Neal and Diana exchanged a glance, which was not lost on Peter.

"Okay, too pretty and young for me, but hey… I can be lucky!" Peter exclaimed.

Diana and Neal had a silent conversation, daring each other to talk.

"Will you stop _that_!" Peter complained.

Neal shrugged to Diana and turned to Peter.

"Peter you cannot go in there with Diana. They'll spot you as FBI from the other side of the street."

"I can lose the tie," Peter suggested. He knew his look screamed cop, but that's why he was going in with Diana, so that she would draw the attention.

Diana jumped in.

"Peter, it's not the tie or me for that matter… That place, you need to go in with Neal" Diana explained.

"What?" Then Peter had a real look at the club and at the bystanders. "Oh…."

"Yeah, _oh_" Neal repeated.

"Of all the places…."

"So Peter, you're taking me out dancing?" Neal asked with a mischievous grin.

"You do anything silly and you'll be spending the weekend in an orange jumpsuit," Peter warned.

"Peter, that prison threat is getting old you know… I get to lead!" He added putting his hat on his head.

"Try me and you'll see." Peter grunted as he removed his tie. "Come on, let's go dancing," he added his tone belaying the words.

Diana tried to hide a chuckle behind a cough and Neal opened the door with a wink to her.

They crossed the street and got to the club entrance. Neal's silver tongue had them enter the place with no second looks. The music was blaring and Peter winced in distaste.

"These guys are going to need hearing aids by the time they reach forty. What's the point? They cannot hear each other."

"They're not here to talk, Peter," Neal pointed to a booth where two young men were glued to each other.

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"I've seen tonsil surgery with less intrusion in the mouth," he mumbled.

Neal stifled a laugh.

"Let's dance," Neal suggested.

"No way!"

"Peter, we can't just stand here watching. People are going to start staring. Let's go for a drink then."

"Not on the job."

"Oh, please!"

Neal grabbed Peter's hand in his and took him to the dance floor. Neal started to dance in tune with the music and Peter watched mesmerized. Even with a music, which sounded more like noise, the young man was oozing sensuality.

The noise stopped so suddenly that Peter thought he had gone deaf. Before he realized the music had turned to a slow song, Neal's arms were wrapped around him.

"Neal!" he whispered through clenched teeth.

"Peter, people are watching," Neal explained through a forced smile. "Put your arms around me, please."

With a dark look to his charge, but knowing he was right, Peter put his arms loosely around Neal's waist and tried to relax. Neal put his arms around Peter's neck and flashed him a smile.

"See, I'm not biting."

"Do you see Hunter?" Peter asked going back to the reason they were there in the first place.

"Oh, come on, relax. All work and no play?" Neal teased.

"Neal…." Peter growled.

"He just sat at a table on the corner." Neal started moving with Peter towards the table, swaying his hips to the music.

As they left the dance floor, Neal didn't let go of Peter and leaned him against a column. Peter shot him a menacing look and turned around to watch the two men. The music being blessedly lower they managed to catch part of the conversation. They could hear them talking but Hunter was cautious and kept switching to a foreign language. It was difficult to understand the information being exchanged between the two men. Then, with a nod of the head, Hunter rose from his seat.

Neal pinned Peter back against the column and kissed him. Peter tensed under his lips and tried to free himself from Neal's grip without making a scene. _Boy, the kid was strong_.

Making his way to the exit, Hunter's shoulder grazed Neal, "Get yourselves a room," he growled, and then left the club. With a last soft kiss, Neal released Peter.

"We need to keep the cover, right?" he explained with a smile.

Peter shot him an angry look and shoved him as he made his way to the exit. He hurried back to the car. Neal straightened his hat and followed smiling.

"That was fast. How did it go?" Diana asked.

Neal opened his mouth to answer but Peter cut him off.

"Neal…," he warned. "They were talking in a foreign language. We couldn't get the intel."

"Good thing then that we could record it," Neal said with a mischievous grin, casually pulling his phone from his pocket.

A huge grin plastered Peter's face.

"Just for that I may forgive you for what happened."

"What happened?" Diana asked curious.

"Nothing." Peter shot a meaningful look to Neal.

* * *

They went back to the FBI building. Soon they had Neal's phone connected to a computer and were enhancing the voice sound to make sense of the conversation. The foreign language turned out to be Hebrew, and they gained a location and meeting time.

"Jones, I want you to take a team and check the place. See how we can position ourselves." Peter ordered. "Diana, go over the recording again, see if we missed anything."

Diana picked up the phone and inadvertently pushed on the play button. The recording was still going on since Neal hadn't turned it off before reaching the car.

_"Get yourselves a room."_

Peter's hand wasn't fast enough to stop the sound.

"Who is he talking to?" Jones asked.

Neal snickered.

"Neal…," Peter warned.

"How did you manage to keep your cover in there?" Diana suddenly wondered.

"Well, you see…," Neal started, enjoying this far too much.

"I'm sure you can tell them after I have dropped you at Rikers this evening." Peter stopped him with a glare.

"Again? Oh please, you…," Neal rose from his chair in anger. "Okay, I've had it for the day. See you tomorrow." He stomped out of the room, went down the stairs two at a time. He grabbed his hat and left the office, not waiting for the elevator and heading for the stairs.

"Twenty-one floors down, now that's going to calm him down." Peter mumbled.

"Boss?" Diana asked in a soft voice her head still turned to the lobby. "What was that about?"

"I have no idea." Peter frowned. He knew Neal never enjoyed being threatened with prison, but he usually took it for the banter it was – most of the time it was just banter. Something else must be bothering him. He looked at his watch. It was past six.

"Let's call it a day. We'll go over this tomorrow. The meeting isn't until Thursday anyway. Good job everyone."

He took his files and stepped into his office.

* * *

The traffic to get to Brooklyn did nothing to ease his tension. He opened the door to his house, Satchmo greeting him happily.

"Honey, I'm home!" he shouted from the door.

"In the kitchen," the sweet voice answered.

He followed the nice smell to the room; Elizabeth was bent over the oven, putting in some sort of casserole. She rose and turned to him.

"Oh oh…," she singsonged.

"What?" Peter asked worried. _Had he done something?_

"You've got that look on your face."

"What look?"

"What did _he_ do this time?" Elizabeth asked with a smile as she came to him and kissed him.

He returned the kiss, hugging her tightly. "How do you know?"

"You have that _Neal did it again_ look on your face."

"I have a special _Neal_ look?" he asked.

"Yep, you do."

Peter sighed. "He's going to put white hair in my head way before my time…."

"I'm sure you'll still be as handsome as ever," Elizabeth countered looking at him with an adoring smile. "Why don't go you go up and change. I'll get some drinks and you can tell me."

Peter showered and changed in comfortable clothes trying to figure out what had done wrong with Neal and if he should tell Elizabeth about the club. Ten minutes later, no closer to an answer he settled by Elizabeth nursing a beer. She raised her bottle to him.

"Cheers," she said with a smile.

"Cheers," he answered with a slight frown.

"Come on, it cannot be that terrible," Elizabeth prodded.

"Neal kissed me."

Elizabeth choked on her beer. Peter handed her a napkin and she coughed several times before getting her breath back.

"Okay… Why don't you start from the beginning so it actually makes sense?" She suggested, giggling.

Peter sighed deeply.

"We're on that case about the forged bonds, tailing a guy named Hunter. This afternoon he went into a club and we followed him inside."

"You and Neal? Wouldn't it have it been more subtle to go in with Diana?" El asked.

"Not in _that_ kind of club…."

Elizabeth opened her eyes wide starting to understand where this was leading.

"There was that blazing music. Honey, I am glad we're not going dancing anymore, I really wouldn't stand that kind of music."

"Honey, we never went to clubs. Those tango lessons we took notwithstanding."

"Those were nice," said Peter with a smile. Then came back to the matter at hand. "Anyway… Neal was… well just _Neal_. Like he has spent all his life in that kind of places, he forced me to dance."

"To keep a low profile, I guess," El suggested.

"Yes, we did need to keep our cover; he didn't have to enjoy it that much though. Then we spotted Hunter and his contact and approached them. I don't know how but Neal managed to activate the record button on his phone –without telling me – and we were close enough to hear them but they spoke in what turned out to be Hebrew!"

"Beats using codes," Elizabeth commented with a chuckle.

"Then Hunter rose to leave and Neal pushed me again the wall; that's when he kissed me."

"Again, to keep your cover..." Elizabeth was smiling.

"Yeah, that's what he said. He made it look real enough that Hunter told us to get a room."

"Wait. That got in the recording too?" Elizabeth was fighting hard to keep serious now.

"Yeah…" Peter grunted. He looked at his wife. "You're enjoying this way too much."

Elizabeth reached his face with her hand, brushed her fingers softly against the skin.

"Sorry, I was just trying to imagine how your team reacted when they heard that."

"Neal was about to jump right in and I threatened him with Rikers if he uttered a single word."

"Isn't that getting a bit old honey?"

Peter frowned.

"What?" she asked

"That's what Neal told me. Then he stormed out of the meeting room and actually took the stairs to leave the building."

"Mad."

Peter winced. "Yeah, I just don't get it. I mean, it's not the first time I've threatened him, he knows I'm not serious most of the time. He was enjoying this way too much for my liking I had to stop him."

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

"He is good at undercover work. It's like a second nature to him. Of course, it's what he has been doing all his life", Peter amended with a shrug. "He had noticed it was a gay club long before I did, and I'm pretty sure he decided to tease me the second I said we were going in. He was enjoying being there, and embarrassing me because it's not the kind of place where I feel very comfortable. You know how he likes to make fun of me when I am undercover. This time he took it a little too far and he wanted to brag about it at the office. That's why I cut him short. But the look he gave me before he left the room…" Peter dropped his head shaking it, still wondering.

"Oh honey," Elizabeth whispered in a sad voice.

Peter jerked his head up at the tone and frowned trying to understand.

"Peter… you hurt him by turning that into some kind of con." Peter raised an eyebrow. "Honey, Neal has a crush on you. The only chance he gets to kiss you and you turn that into some elaborate joke, it must have hurt."

Peter opened his mouth but no sound came out. He closed and opened it several times with the same effect, in a pretty good fish imitation.

"Peter, you can be so blind sometimes, I can't believe you're the best agent of the FBI." She got closer to him and kissed him softy. "Yes, I think you are their best agent. And yes I know you don't love him that way."

"I…." Peter still had trouble managing a sentence.

"Peter it's so obvious. The way he looks at you, the way he drinks in your every word. You've never wondered why he proposed your agreement in the first place. Of course he wanted to get out of prison, but I also think he wanted to spend as much time as possible with you. When you were chasing him you were in contact, sort of anyway; once he was behind bars he never got to see you. I don't know that many prisoners who send birthday cards to the man who sent them in in the first place."

"I should have known there was more to that kiss than keeping the cover. Now that I think about it, for a second there was that look in his eyes. Some kind of longing… But he slipped his favorite con mask immediately and I was kind of mad at him at that moment, so I only saw that." Peter rubbed his face with his hand. "I need to talk to him."

"Yes, you do."

"And tell him it's never going to happen."

"Yes, you have to break up with him, and spare his feelings. And remember that you still have to work together, be gentle."

Peter groaned dropping his head on the couch behind him.

"So, is he a good kisser?" Elizabeth asked with a grin after a few minutes.

* * *

The following morning Peter went early to Neal's place, he wanted to talk to him before the young man went to the office. This conversation would be easier in the homey interior rather than at the bureau with its glass cubicles. He climbed the stairs quickly and knocked on the door. Neal opened and frowned when he saw Peter.

"Peter? Is something wrong?" He was quite surprised to see the agent that early.

"Good morning Neal." Peter entered the room. Neal was still in a robe.

"Good morning Peter. Sorry, I'm not ready yet; I wasn't expecting you here this morning. Something came up? You need me earlier at the office?"

"No, I wanted to talk to you." Peter put his hands in his pockets. He hadn't really thought what he was going to say.

"You want some coffee?" Neal proposed.

"Yes, please," Peter was happy for the distraction and June's coffee was always welcome.

Neal served two cups and they sat at the table. They drank their coffee in silence.

"Peter, I…."

"Neal…."

They chuckled. Peter opened a hand meaning _you first_.

"I apologize for stomping out of the office like I did yesterday. I had no right to behave that way."

Peter nodded, accepting the apology, noting that Neal had apologized but not given any reason to his behavior.

"No problem. I should probably apologize too… for not being…." Peter hesitated. "I should see you more as a man and less as a con. You are a human being, not just some useful tool for my work."

Neal frowned; this wasn't what he was expecting. He didn't know what he was expecting, but this was… well _unexpected_.

"I am glad you're working with us. And not just for your great work, I mean you are really helping us. You're smart and fun, and don't let this get to your head; even your "out of the box thinking" is good for the office." Peter stopped for a second. "I know I keep threatening you with sending you back to jail, most of the time you know I don't really mean it. Still you do know it is a possibility and that I don't have all powers on that."

He looked at Neal's face. For once, the young man wasn't smiling; he seemed troubled, wondering where this was leading. Peter couldn't resist a grin; Neal at a loss about a situation wasn't something you witnessed very often. Clearly the con man didn't know where this was going.

"What I am trying to say is I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings yesterday. I really didn't mean to."

Neal nodded slowly, accepting the apology. Peter helped himself to some more coffee.

Neal watched him, his head tilted. There was more to this conversation, he could sense it.

"Why don't you spit it out and we'll move on from there," he proposed.

Peter chuckled, so much for Caffrey at a loss.

"Neal, I realize that you have… some… feelings for me… that I am unable to return." Neal blushed slightly, an unusual sight thought Peter. "I like you a lot, but… not like that."

Peter gave himself, and Neal, a few seconds then went on.

"Elizabeth is the best thing that ever happened to me, and every morning I am amazed that I have her by my side. And I wish with all my heart that you find the same happiness some day, but I am not going to be that one for you." Peter lifted his head to look at the young man in the eyes. "I promise that I will never hurt your feelings again by turning them into some sort of con, I hadn't realized, and I apologize for that."

Neal nodded, not trusting his voice, feeling his eyes sting with unshed tears. He realized how much this must have cost the agent. Turning down the attention of a woman was a tough thing, turning down a man, most probably for the first time in his life, was quite another mountain to climb. He took a sip from his coffee, saw that his hand was shaking slightly. He put the cup down quickly and put his hands between his legs sighing.

"Why don't you take the day off?" Peter proposed.

"To mend my broken heart?" Neal asked in sarcasm.

Peter winced. "My treat for being that mean yesterday?" he suggested instead.

Neal had a sad smile.

"You're a good man Peter. Thank you."

"No, thank you."

Neal sat back on his chair observing his friend. Peter raised a questioning eyebrow.

"A whole new side of you I didn't know about. You can talk when you want to. If you were half that good with Elizabeth on your first date no wonder she sticks around. And your ex-girlfriends were lucky to be dumped with such grace."

"I…" Peter was about to say _didn't dump you_, but he actually had, sort of anyway.

Neal took a sip of his cup again, and then a small smile appeared on his face.

"So which part of this did you rehearse with El?" he asked.

"None!" Peter answered offended. Neal raised a doubtful eyebrow. "Really. She just… well, of course she had realized you had a crush on me, as she put it, when I hadn't a clue. Don't take it personally please, not used watching that side of the street."

They let a few minutes of comfortable silence go by.

"So, how are things with Sara lately?" Peter asked.

Neal frowned. "Trying to set me up already?" he teased.

"You two looked good together," Peter commented.

"She broke up with me."

"We know why, so it's your call now."

The whole treasure fiasco was behind them; maybe it was time to move forward. He liked Sara. She was beautiful, she was smart, she was fun, and she kept him on his toes. If he could move past Peter, maybe she was the one for him. After all, he did like women. Peter was… _Peter_.

He looked at the agent, his heart still hurt. He had always known that his love for him was a one-way feeling but as long as Peter wasn't aware and hadn't put an end to it, there was always… hope. Now it was definitely over. And Peter had been sweet about it, sparing his feelings.

"Elizabeth is lucky," he said softly.

"No, I am. Although, I wonder…" Peter baited.

"What?" Neal asked curious.

"Well, she did ask me if you were a good kisser." Peter informed him with a grin.

Neal laughed out loud. Moving on was going to be difficult, but as long as Peter remained a friend, life was good.

The end

Thanks for your time.


End file.
